This invention generally relates to convertible roofs for automotive vehicles and, more particularly, to a convertible roof that is stored in a stowage compartment of the vehicle with an exterior portion of the roof facing upward and covering the compartment.
Traditional soft-top convertible roofs for automotive vehicles typically employ three, four or five roof bows, having an inverted U-shape spanning transversely across the vehicle for supporting a vinyl, canvas or polyester fabric pliable roof cover. A number one roof bow is mounted to a pair of front roof rails and is typically latched to a stationary front header panel of the automotive vehicle body disposed above the front windshield. A number two roof bow is typically mounted to a pair of center roof rails which are pivotably connected to the front roof rails. Furthermore, the number three, four and any additional optional roof bows are commonly mounted to a pair of rear roof rails which are pivotably coupled to the center roof rails. The roof cover can also have a hard or rigid portion along with the pliable portion. For example, reference should be made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,409 entitled xe2x80x9cConvertible Topxe2x80x9d, which is incorporated by reference herein. Most traditional convertible roofs are stowed in a boot well or stowage compartment that is located aft of a passenger compartment in the vehicle. A boot or tonneau cover is then used to cover the boot well and conceal the convertible roof from view and/or protect the stowed roof from the environment.
The use of a boot cover or tonneau cover increases the cost and complexity of a vehicle with a convertible roof. Additionally, the separate boot cover also increases the number of operating parts and material required to conceal the stowed convertible roof from view and/or protect it from the environment. Therefore, it would be desirable if the boot cover could be integrated into the convertible roof such that a portion of the convertible roof also functions as the boot cover when the convertible roof is in its stowed position.
Traditional soft-top convertible roofs can present a packaging (stowing) difficulty when it is desired to use a xe2x80x9cZxe2x80x9d folding roof. The difficulty is more pronounced when a xe2x80x9cZxe2x80x9d folding roof is desired to be used on a larger vehicle (vehicle having front and rear seating areas). Traditional xe2x80x9cZxe2x80x9d folding roofs have second and subsequent roof bows that are passively controlled and rely upon the movement of the flexible cover to position the roof bows when the convertible roof is transitioned from raised and stowed positions and typically have three pairs of coupled roof rails. Passively controlling the second roof bow, however, may not position the second roof bow in a proper orientation or may require excessive stowage space. Additionally, the use of three pairs of coupled roof rails also adds to the packaging difficulty. Therefore, it would be desirable to actively control the second and/or subsequent roof bows to control the positioning of the roof bows when transitioning from raised and stowed positions. It would also be desirable to provide a xe2x80x9cZxe2x80x9d folding roof that utilizes a fourth pair of roof rails.
In accordance with the present invention, a convertible roof is provided which includes a mechanism to actively control a second roof bow. In another aspect of the present invention, a unique and novel way to control the folding of the convertible roof mechanism is employed such that a portion of the convertible roof serves as a cover that conceals the convertible roof within the boot well.
Along with actively controlling a second roof bow and controlling the top so that a portion serves as a cover, additional objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.